All three models of the G4 come with a 3-speed Shimano Nexus internally geared hub that I’m told was custom built to fit Gocycle’s tight tolerances, which is a big deal — Shimano doesn’t custom make its parts for just any old company.
But while the base-model G4 gets a mechanical twist shifter, the G4i and G4i+ we tested in Park City actually have predictive electronic shifting. It’s still a twist shifter located on the right-hand grip, but all it takes is an effortless flick of the wrist forward or back to get the bike to smoothly change gears while riding. The G4i and G4i+ will also automatically downshift to first gear when the bike comes to a stop (the “predictive” part of the shifting), meaning you never have to fumble your gears at a stop sign.
This feature actually took some getting used to for me: I’m a long-time cyclist so I’m used to intuitively shifting into the gear I want at stops, so I was sometimes caught off guard when I started rolling again and found myself in an easier gear than expected, but I got used to it quickly. It is a feature that will be ultra useful for those still getting used to gear changes at stops or who just don’t want to think about it.
Gocycle’s patented cleandrive seals the drivetrain away from pant legs. This photo is of the G4i+ model, so you can see the carbon fiber spoked wheels.
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
Gocycle spec’s the G4i and G4i+ with a set of hydraulic disc brakes front and rear. These brakes are unbranded and proprietary to Gocycle, though the levers bear a striking resemblance to a Magura design.
Whoever made them, they stood up fine on the long descents we encountered in Park City. Descents that large typically require so much braking that lesser systems will heat up and begin to lose power, a phenomena known as “brake fade.” But not these brakes, they handled high speeds fine and inspired enough confidence that I found myself braking later and carrying more speed into corners.
Other new things: A carbon fiber mid frame, a new carbon fork and new tires
Gocycle makes a host of proprietary accessories for its folding bikes, but the models we tested were some of their more spartan examples with just the G4i+ featuring some neat integrated front and rear lights.
But Gocycle doesn’t build bikes built for hauling loads or additional passengers, it builds folding human-powered sportscars. So while these bikes were lacking stock racks and fenders, they were chock full of new features designed to maximize performance and cut weight. The most notable of these improvements are a new carbon fiber mid frame, a new carbon front fork and some cool Moto GP-inspired tires.
Those new carbon bits cut several pounds off the overall weight of the bike, a very important consideration when you remember that these bikes are designed to be folded up and toted around like a briefcase. They also stiffened up the Gocycle’s frame, making the bike more lively and precise. On the high-end model, the G4i+, you also get those insanely cool carbon fiber wheels that further save weight and increase performance.
The small but mighty LED rear light on the Gocycle G4i+.
Rounding out the new features on the G4 lineup are a new set of Moto GP-inspired tires made special for Gocycle. These tires gripped like they had additional gravity and held up well on the less-than-ideal road surfaces we encountered in some areas of Park City.
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